I had always thought 1 page was the 'norm' for school apps or jobs, assuming you haven't been working a long time already. Someone w/ say 5+ yrs of experience, I imagine, would have two pages or something. I also read some articles recently talking about how it is getting more and more acceptable though for 2 pages to be the 'norm'...but that is a newer change it seems.

I have heard and seen many employers (and I assume ad comms) just sort of skimming resumes. 2+ pages seems like a ton of unnecessary information, unless you're sort of a special case. I can interview you if I want to know more specific details about your job; not read a novel when I'm trying to make first cuts.

kappycaft1 wrote:I actually get a lot of 3+ page resumes that give me the lulz because they take up a ton of space listing dumb shit like their proficiency in Microsoft Word and what not... and they use one line for every single god damn product they know, which takes up a shit-ton of space. These types of resumes usually come from younger applicants, and it seems like they don't have a fucking clue in the world what a resume is supposed to look like.

And what's important. I have to cut similar sections for almost every person whose resume I edit. We know you can use MS Word - you graduated college. It's essentially a pre-req.

kappycaft1 wrote:I actually get a lot of 3+ page resumes that give me the lulz because they take up a ton of space listing dumb shit like their proficiency in Microsoft Word and what not... and they use one line for every single god damn product they know, which takes up a shit-ton of space. These types of resumes usually come from younger applicants, and it seems like they don't have a fucking clue in the world what a resume is supposed to look like.

And what's important. I have to cut similar sections for almost every person whose resume I edit. We know you can use MS Word - you graduated college. It's essentially a pre-req.

I totally agree that it shouldn't go on the resume, but a ton of people in law school in their early/mid-20s are still shitawful at computers, Word included. Being able to double click on an icon and type =/= Word proficiency.

I had a 2-page resume for my law school apps, and it didn't hurt me, I don't think. That HLS resume is what actually convinced me that this was okay. But I keep my job app resumes to one page (with a second page of references).

I have more than 8 reported decisions during 5 years of law practice. My legal resume is one page. You probably don't need 2 pages. Law professors and deans generally know absolutely nothing about reality. Its quite possible that a Law dean would entertain a 2 page resume from someone that could fit their actual experience onto a business card; but most people in the real work frown upon such things. I did not, however, consult with a panel of academics at a law firm in Boston before arriving at this opinion; so take the above for what its worth...